We’d all like to think road safety messages have started to sink in for Australian drivers. The majority follow the rules by sticking to the speed limit, obeying traffic signs and ignoring phones and other hand-held devices while behind the wheel.

There’s nowhere left to hide. Now that the notifiable data breaches (NDB) scheme and EU general data protection regulation (GDPR) legislation are forcing companies to reveal the true extent of their data-security deficiencies, takeup of cyber insurance is surging as businesses weigh up the very real financial risk of non-compliance.

Australian businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on digital technologies. At the same time, cyber crime is booming, costing the Australian economy an estimated $4,500,000,000 annually (yes, that's billion with a B).

To be more cyber resilient, organisations not only need to have the ability to assess cyber risk and have a protection plan, they must also be able to quickly – and successfully – recover and respond in the event of a cyber incident.

A RUSH of insurance claims from Hobart’s catastrophic storms has pushed the damage bill above $100 million.Claims for private property have reached nearly $81 million, a jump of more than $35 million in the past two weeks.

Australian organisations should be looking at their ICT security as part of their planning process for the new financial year - and making sure they have adequate ICT security measures in place for networks, data and devices for the next 12 months and beyond.